Five minutes later, inside Fujino's room.
Fujino sat on the brown sofa in his bedroom, listening to Yoko Okino, who was recounting how she had been followed recently. He couldn't help but feel a bit speechless.
Yuko Ikeze had just left, and now Yoko Okino was here.
Wow, you two didn't plan this together, did you?
Fujino found himself in a bit of a dilemma regarding Yoko Okino's request.
He had just accepted Yuko Ikeze's request to dig up dirt on Yoko Okino.
And now Yoko Okino was asking him to investigate who had been stalking her recently.
This was starting to feel a bit too convoluted… not easy to handle.
"If you can find out the truth, we are willing to pay a commission of 400,000 yen," said Yoko's manager, Eiichi Yamagishi, noticing Fujino's distracted expression and trying to gauge his interest with the offer.
'400,000 yen?'
Fujino's ears perked up.
Well, if he couldn't reveal his clients' privacy, then being a double agent wasn't too bad, right? After all, 400,000 yen was a lot of money, and the sincerity of the offer was clear.
"So, Miss Yoko, you're here because you want me to find the person who's been stalking you these past few days?" Fujino poured Yoko a cup of tea as usual.
"Yes," Yoko nodded.
"Could it be a paparazzi?" Fujino speculated.
"No…" Yoko took the tea, frowning slightly. "I'm used to paparazzi, but this time it's different… it's too much."
"Every day when I come home, I find that my furniture has been moved."
"I often receive silent phone calls, and the day after a silent call, I receive candid photos in the mail."
"Just last night, someone chased me crazily…"
As she spoke, tears of fear welled up in Yoko's eyes. "I really don't know what to do. If this continues, I won't be able to sleep at night…"
Fujino carefully observed Yoko and noticed the faint dark circles under her eyes.
For an idol, lack of rest could be fatal, especially for someone as popular as Yoko Okino.
"That's despicable…" Fujino cursed under his breath.
But thinking back, if he wasn't mistaken, all those things were probably done by Yuko Ikeze.
And Yuko had just hired him…
Great, turns out I'm the despicable one.
"Excuse me," Fujino cleared his throat to ease the awkwardness and quickly changed the subject, deducing, "If your description is accurate, Miss Yoko, I believe you're dealing with a 'sasaeng fan'."
"Sasaeng fan?" Yoko echoed, puzzled. "What kind of fan is that?"
"It's not a type of rice," Fujino explained. "It's a term for fans who intrude on an idol's private life. Sasaeng fans are extreme fans who use methods such as stalking, secretly taking photos, breaking in, and spying to obtain private information about idols."
"I've never heard that term before," Yoko said, listening intently, like a curious child.
"Of course you haven't," Fujino said sheepishly. "I coined the term myself."
"Before you came, I had already helped countless idols who were tormented by sasaeng fans just like you…"
Yoko looked at Fujino with admiration. "Then you must have a solution, Detective Fujino."
"Of course," Fujino replied. "I have a special method for dealing with sasaeng fans."
"What method?" Yoko asked, looking at him expectantly.
"Catch them and send them to jail. One-time solution."
"Isn't there another way?" Yoko frowned. "Even if the fan is extreme, I can't bear to send them to jail."
"Sigh, Miss Yoko, your heart is too kind… if that's the case, it might be a bit difficult to handle," Fujino sighed, showing a conflicted expression.
Eiichi Yamagishi, standing by, understood the underlying message. 'Difficult' didn't mean 'impossible'. The troubled look was just a way to ask for more money.
"If Detective Fujino can solve this without exposure, we're willing to add another 100,000 yen to the commission," Yamagishi said.
After all, if this got out, it could seriously damage Yoko's reputation.
Seems like this guy knows how to negotiate, Fujino thought. Impressed, he made a decision: "In that case, I'll make this a top-secret investigation."
Seeing Fujino's righteous demeanor, Yamagishi felt like he had boarded a pirate ship.
This guy… he must be an unscrupulous detective.
But there was no other choice. Within a 1 million yen budget, there wasn't a more discreet detective in all of Tokyo… as seen by many in the industry.
He had come here through a friend's recommendation.
Helplessly, Yamagishi sighed, "In that case, we leave this matter to you, Detective Fujino."
He took out an envelope from his pocket, full of 100,000 yen.
It was a deposit.
Fujino took the bulging envelope and started counting the money.
100,000 yen, exactly right.
Noticing Yamagishi's tearful expression, Fujino felt a twinge of guilt. He paused, then pulled out 50,000 yen and handed it back, saying, "I'll only take one-tenth as a deposit. The rest, you keep. It's my rule."
"Thank you very much," Yamagishi said, deeply bowing.
Seems like I misjudged this detective… is this really such a difficult case?
"No need to thank me. It's just business."
After all, it would all be his in the end.
"Since I've accepted the commission, we should get to Miss Okino's house as soon as possible to investigate."
Fujino stood up resolutely. "The sooner we find out the truth, the sooner Miss Okino can get a good night's sleep."
"Yes!" Yamagishi nodded vigorously, satisfied with Fujino's efficiency.
Indeed, listening to a friend's recommendation was the right choice. This was definitely a reliable detective.
(End of Chapter)